Start-up funding isn’t just for VCs: How launchpads are transforming investment

Yield App’s Angel Launchpad boasts no hacks and rigorous due diligence, offering users higher allocation amounts and benefits.

As most investors know, the way to make real money in markets – especially crypto markets – is to be an angel investor in early-stage projects. However, along with high levels of capital, identifying a winning start-up requires time and expertise, making angel investing inaccessible to the average investor.  

Leveraging launchpads for investment 

In the crypto world, launchpads are solving the above-mentioned problem. Usually operated by professional investors, launchpads hand-pick early-stage projects and then allow their members to invest in these start-ups, typically with smaller amounts than a typical angel allocation.

Often specialized by sector or ecosystem, launchpads afford the average person a way to enter the angel investment world. While risks remain high and returns are never guaranteed, investors can rely on the expertise of the launchpad team to research and select projects they would otherwise be unaware of.

Of course, just as all investments are not equal, neither are all launchpads, so investors – particularly those new to angel investing – should carefully select their launchpad. Those with a history of funding successful start-ups are typically a good option and include Seedify, Polkastarter and BSCPad.

However, it can be difficult to access a successful launchpad as a new member. Bigger, more established launchpads also often price themselves out of the very early-stage market, where start-ups typically target much smaller funding amounts. 

Selecting the right launchpad 

Because more established launchpads come with their own set of challenges, looking for a newer launchpad run by a team with a proven track record elsewhere may be a good option. These include the Angel Launchpad from digital wealth platform Yield App. Launched in 2020, Yield App boasts zero hacks or exploits, while its institutional-grade due diligence process prevented it from investing in UST and helped the platform avoid heavy losses in 2022.

With two successful projects already launched plus a range of access benefits for existing platform users, Yield App’s Angel Launchpad is potentially a good option for those looking to enter the world of angel investment. The launchpad also offers higher allocation amounts than most others, with no limit on the amount investors can pledge (although users might not be allocated the full amount). 

Yield App Angel Launchpad will also only list projects that have notable investors, provided they have not yet launched the token and have completed a risk assessment and audits. Finally, the platform boasts a very small barrier to entry where interested investors can allocate as little as $100.

Early-stage projects remain high risk and investors should never invest more than they are prepared to lose – even with a launchpad. However, as part of a well-diversified portfolio, such investments can be transformative. By lowering the capital and research time required, launchpads allow everyone to become a venture capitalist.